


Gritty

by wonderwhy



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, One Shot, and i was thinking a lot about how much i love movie!hiccstrid, basically Romantic Flight Part II, because i'm not going near that until i've finished my exams, but u should read this one shot because it's very cute, i wrote this bc i needed a stress reliever from exams, if you're here because of my other fic... don't delete the kisses... then i'm sorry, proposal, yeah i mean.... theyre pretty much the only characters here im not gonna lie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-12
Updated: 2018-05-12
Packaged: 2019-05-04 14:18:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14594844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wonderwhy/pseuds/wonderwhy
Summary: "I feel like we were fifteen yesterday."She knows exactly what he means. They're growing up too quickly.And nobody told them what it was going to be like. Apparently when you're a kid, when you're a teenager, the coming of age process doesn't include a rundown of people who hate you or people who want you dead or people who want to take your dragons away and skin them.





	Gritty

**Author's Note:**

> this is... como se dice... a stress reliever

  
"Sometimes I kind of hate this."

"What?" Astrid blinks open her eyes, seeing soft pinks and yellow blur past as she squints against the wind. They're not flying as fast as they could be, not when they're sitting on a Nadder who's getting old instead of their usual Night Fury who's been absent. She doesn't mind, though. She likes the slow, calm rhythm of Stormfly beating her wings, it's needed after such a painfully long and sunset-less week. She sighs. The hand around her waist tightens slightly. "You kind of hate what?"

She doesn't turn to face him, but she feels Hiccup's exhale against the back of her head, ruffling her messy hair. She hasn't had a chance to braid it properly the past few days, what with the constant jobs and responsibilities and problems that crop up whenever a head is turned. She hasn't had time for a proper bath either, and honestly, she's been doing her best to avoid mirrors because every time she glances at her reflection and sees the greasy bangs she had when she was fifteen and gritty, she grimaces.

She made a joke about that to Hiccup yesterday and he just laughed and said she always looks beautiful, even when she's grumpy and greasy and in desperate need of a hair comb. She threw a fishbone at his head and called him corny but she still smiled when he kissed her forehead.

"I hate this..." he lets go of her waist so he can wave his arm in the air, the way he does when he's searching for words and feels like he can grab them from the clouds. "This whole... growing up too fast thing. You know? It's all so much and it feels like it just happened overnight and I... you know?"

"Put your hand back." Astrid makes a grab for his arm and pulls it back towards her, holding it to her chest with his fist between hers. She twists slightly to see his face and it's more crestfallen than she'd like it to be. She's barely seen him all week but every time she has, he's looked down. And she knows how he feels because she's been the same, there's too much stress piling on top of her and she feels like she's going to snap. She feels like she's signed up for something bigger than her and she doesn't remember when that happened.

It's worse for him though, at least she's not dealing with the looming shadow of a dead father.

"Is this about chiefing?" She's still holding his hand between hers and she brushes his chin with it. He meets her eyes and she frowns at his dark circles, too prominent and too harsh under all of that bright green.

"Yes and no," he shrugs. "It's not just me and chiefing, it's... It's you too, you've been working non-stop this whole week and it's not fair, it's too much responsibility and— that's my fault, I made you General just like that—"

"Hey, I wanted that job, that was my decision."

"I know, but I... I didn't think. I just," he bites his lip and exhales, looking at her with slow blinking eyes. He uses his free arm to wrap it around her shoulders and she leans against him more fully, huffing when she drops her head onto his shoulder. "I just handed out all these jobs and orders and- I wanted you next to me, obviously, because I'd mess everything up if you weren't by my side, but- I feel like it happened so quickly." He pauses. "Happening so quickly. It's still happening, I mean- we're still growing. Right?" He rubs her shoulder and huffs a laugh. "Am I getting my point across? Probably not, I'm half asleep."

"I'm half asleep, too," Astrid mutters against him, "but I think I get it." She nudges him with her chin and tells him, "keep talking." Because sometimes he needs prompting.

He takes it. "And it's weird, do you ever think about how there's all these... things we're learning about now that we have to deal with, and we're only learning about them because we're older, but when we were younger nobody told us? I think our parents were trying to protect us but they were really just shutting us out. And... it didn't really work, because now it's as if we've just been... handed all of this responsibility all at once, and... I feel like we were fifteen yesterday."

She knows exactly what he means.

She thinks of the piles of letters and forms and drafts that are piling up more and more on his desk. She'd like to think they're pretty mundane, but there are too many warnings and threats amongst them. There are too many dangerous words that teeter scarily towards war.

Too many unfamiliar ships on the horizon.

Nobody told them how many enemies they were going to have. Apparently when you're a kid, when you're a teenager, the coming of age process doesn't include a rundown of people who hate you or people who want you dead or people who want to take your dragons away and skin them.

With that thought, she puts her hand against the warm and comforting hide beneath her, peaking out from under the saddle. Stormfly's still with her. Stormfly's still flying and chirping and playing fetch with strangers. And Astrid knows she's getting a little bit older and a little bit weaker everyday, but that's better than her being taken away by people who want to hurt her.

She knows Nadder spikes sell for high prices in the market but she doesn't want to know how much someone would bid for their coat of scales. Or their wings. Or— she's heard of warlords cutting off Nadder horns and wearing them on their belts.

Astrid pushes the thought away and twists further so she can wrap her arms around Hiccup's waist in a tight hug. He doesn't question it, he just holds her close and lets her bury her head into his neck, kissing the top of her hair softly. She still loves it when he does that, it never lost its novelty.

"I'm sorry we don't have time for this anymore," he mumbles.

She squeezes him. "It's not your fault. We've both been busy."

"Which is my fault. Because I'm chief. And I should be able to have everything under control."

"You can't control everything," she says, "you can't be expected to do everything on your own."

"I'm not doing it alone, that's the thing, I'm—" he pulls her back for a moment to see her clearly, giving her a smile that's somewhat tired, but still trying. "You're always right there by my side. I mean not literally, because I've barely seen you all week, but you're always doing so much for the village and..." he shrugs his shoulders, letting out a laugh. "You're just really, really amazing."

She snorts. "Yeah, I know."

"You're amazing," he grabs her hands and shakes them, grinning, making her nearly lose her balance and topple sideways. She laughs and shoves him away from her, Stormfly chirping happily beneath them and swerving low.

"And you're alright, I guess," she pokes him under the arm and he shrieks, jerking away from her as she jumps on him. "Stop squirming!"

"Astrid no—"

"Does this tickle? Hm? Oh, you poor thing."

"Get off get off get _off_ —"

"Aw, is widdle baby Hiccup afwaid of some ikkle tickles—"

"Astrid, oh my gods, not the— _eek!_ Not the baby voice, please, literally anything but that."

He squeaks as she blows a loud and wet raspberry into his neck, and she's laughing so much that he manages to pry her hands off him. "Astrid, come on—" he purses his lips and puts on that baby voice he claims to hate so much, "be _serious_." She shakes her head and she's grinning for the first time in days and Hiccup smiles too fondly as he put his hands on her cheeks to keep her still. "What the Hel, your face is _freezing._ "

"It's windy, muttonhead. You just have freakishly warm hands."

"Okay, but seriously," he squishes her cheeks – which is her move, actually, she's the one always doing that to him when he's pouting – and pulls her close, nuzzling her nose with his own. "Thank you."

"I..." she squints. "What?"

"Just... for everything you do. I know it's way more than you let on."

That makes her blush a little bit. Not because she's embarrassed to help him, but because he's right, she does so much more than she lets on. And he's onto her, obviously, because he knows her too well and she's never been able to lie to him without him knowing.

When someone comes looking for Hiccup, she's there. If there's a building that needs fixing, she's sorting it out before anyone can reach the chief and and ask him what to do. If there's a problem with the fishing nets, she's running to the docks before Hiccup can even glance that way. If Hiccup falls asleep at his desk with a dozen half-written letters and documents crumpled under his elbows, she nudges him into bed and she finishes the job herself, even though she's yawning and her eyes itch and she wants to crawl under the covers next to him.

Maybe it's that last one that makes her blush. Because taking care of someone and staying late at night and loading half of their responsibilities onto your own shoulders, well... that surpasses _girlfriend_ and edges into something a lot more permanent.

They used to talk about it. Stoick used to tease them about it. Ever since he left, the conversation fizzled out and she doesn't feel as certain as she used to.

"I just want to help," she bites her lip. "I just want to make things easier for you."

"Even though you don't have to," he tucks her hair behind her ear even though that's utterly pointless, it's flying everywhere in the wind, but she appreciates the attempt. "Even though you've got your own responsibilities, your own things to worry about." His thumb smoothes over her eyebrow, down her cheek, the way it does when they're waiting for their breathing to slow down and they're tangled up in his bed.

"Hey," she taps her knuckles against his chin, that stubble that's been there for too long because she knows he hasn't had time to shave. His hair's a mess too, and his eyes are too tired, and he's doing so much and she doesn't know how he's holding himself together but Astrid's glad to know she's helping after all. "I love you."

She doesn't need to tell him, he knows, because her actions speaks so much louder than her words and she can always understand him even when he's not making sense and she has to try so hard. He knows, and it's obvious enough that sometimes it still makes her blush. Sometimes she worries that she loves him too much. Enough for it to hurt.

But it doesn't hurt when she sees how much his face lights up at those words, even though he's heard them a hundred times. And it doesn't hurt when he kisses her, hard and quick, cupping her jaw while she clasps her hands behind his neck. He pulls away and she manages to get another peck in before he laughs and takes her hand in his. "I love you too. Just, you know, for the record."

"Good. Glad we're on the same page."

"Yeah..." he nods. He's still smiling. It's that that crooked, warm smile that he saves just for her, the one that makes her chest feel light. It falters for a second and he glances down, his hand moving to his chest for a second before faltering. "Hey, uh... Astrid," his hand takes a second too long to reach hers, jerky and unsure. She frowns.

"Yeah?"

"Can I ask you a question?"

He looks too hesitant and she nods, intertwining her fingers with his. "Yeah. Sure, babe."

"Okay." He nods a little bit, then a lot, like he's reassuring himself. "Okay, good, okay..."

"Hiccup?" She squeezes his fingers.

He stares at their hands, intertwined between them. Hers are wind-chapped and cold, despite the thick, woolen vambraces she's wearing and despite the fact that Hiccup's are constantly radiating warmth.

Stormfly swerves again, beating her wings harder as she makes her way higher, the clouds cocooning them. Astrid realises the sun's gone down and she jerks forward, shaking Hiccup's hands too vigorously with wide eyes.

"Astrid, what are you—"

"Look!" She twists so she can scratch behind Stormfly's head, right behind the jaw the way she loves so much. "Hey, girl," she says softly, "fly up?"

Astrid leans back and smiles to herself as they get faster, the wind freezing and slapping against her. There's nothing around them, the clouds make everything a dark blur and for a moment she's worried it'll be too foggy for this to work, but then Stormfly flies into clear, night sky and Astrid swerves her arm back to hit Hiccup excitedly. "Look."

"I'm looking, Astrid," Hiccup chuckles, snaking his arm around her waist and pulling her back into him. He rests his chin on her shoulder and it's so reminiscent of their first flight that her heart squeezes.

She's always loved the northern lights, ever since that day. Seeing them from solid, Berkian ground was one thing, but when she flew for the first time and she saw the colours so bright and close and overwhelming, it was... monumental. She's pretty sure she fell in love that day.

Not with Hiccup, obviously, that took more time. That was slow and sweet and it took more than some romantic flight, it took building and trust and quiet conversations. But she did fall in love with flying that day. She fell in love with the sky. And the lights.

Especially the lights.

Hiccup kisses her cheek and shuffles closer to her, a couple of his buckles digging into her back but she ignores them. He knows how much she loves the lights and again, it's not something she needs to say. They haven't gone flying together in so long but when they used to, he'd always make sure to go at night when it was cloudless, and they'd always spend too much time gliding above the clouds and basking in the colours.

"Okay, move your arm, I'm—"

"I'm too comfy," he pouts as she unlatches herself from him, "no, Astrid, come back."

"I'm just turning around," she shakes her head, crossing her legs and intertwining their hands again. "Relax, I'm not jumping off."

His face glows blue and green and red in the light and he shrugs, moving her arms along with him. "Could have fooled me, you squirm too much."

She swats his knee. "What were you gonna ask me?"

"What?"

"You were going to ask me something, remember?" she says it more gently this time, thinking of how hesitant he looked when he asked in the first place. He hasn't looked hesitant around her in a long while, but she knows the look, she knows when he's thinking of what to say to her without messing it up. "Before I got all excited about, you know," she waves a hand dramatically behind her, gesturing to the lights and Hiccup huffs a laugh.

She takes his hand again. He purses his lips, looking down, and she has to lower her head to meet his eye.

"So?" she prompts softly.

"Will you marry me?" he blurts, eyes wide. "I mean—"

"What?"

"I... fuck, I meant to— word that differently. Um," he hastily reaches for the pocket in his chest piece, yanking out a little leather bag while her heart starts pounding in her chest, way too fast for her mind to catch up. "I made this! It's, um, it's not an official part of the dowry or anything but I... I thought it would be nice— but if you don't like it, obviously, it's fine, um—"

"Marry?" Astrid bats his hands away, a piece of metal— no a ring, that's a wedding ring right there in his hand and he's reaching for her own hand and he's going to put that ring on her finger and... he asked her to marry her. That's what's happening? That's what's happening, gods dammit, Astrid, keep up. Her heart's thundering and her mind's a few steps behind but that's what's happening, he definitely just said that, she didn't imagine it or mishear it. "You're proposing?"

"Yes?" he rubs a hand over his face, laughing nervously, "and I've got this ring, but it's just for now, I can get a proper dowry together—"

"You're proposing!"

"Yeah... Are you.... oh, you're smiling, thank Thor."

"Of course I'm— Agh!" she punches him in the shoulder and shrieks, her grin spreading across her whole face because it's about fucking _time._

She thought they'd talk about it first, since the topic's been avoided for so long and she wasn't sure where either of them stood, but she likes the spontaneity of this. It's more Hiccup, she supposes. She laughs and throws her arms wide, leaning back against the saddle. "You're proposing! This is amazing!"

"Astrid, hey— come here," he laughs, trying to grab her arm and pull her back to him. "I need to... here." He holds her hand still, her face close to his and lowered as she stares at her hand. She's too giggly, it's ridiculous, she's going to do something stupid like fall off her dragon or jump on him any second. He slips the ring onto her finger and lets out a long breath when it fits perfectly. "Okay, I was really, really worried I got the size wrong."

"Let me see," Astrid holds her finger close to her face, squinting in the half dark. It's not easy to see with the colours of the northern lights making the ring shine blue but she can make out the slightly raised pattern on the band of bronze, the little gilded criss-crosses and interweaving lines, the gem in the centre. "You made this?"

He nods, smiling sheepishly as he points to the gem. "It's, uh, a bit of Stormfly's scales, see? She let me borrow one of her spikes–" he pats the dragon's back and she trills in response "–and I managed to melt it down with some... nevermind, point is, it's got a little bit of your dragon in it, and I made one for myself that's got a bit of... my dragon in it and..." he suddenly groans, planting his face in his hands. "Wow. Wow, that's so corny, that's actually gross."

"No it isn't!" Astrid thumps his shoulder, "It's not corny, it's... Hiccup, this is beautiful, I love it so much."

"Are you sure? I can make a new one—"

"No!" She yanks her hand away from him, clutching it to her chest. "No way! It's mine now, no changing it." She can't help but glance at it again, the lights reflecting on the Nadder gem and making it glow. "When did you even get a chance to make this?"

"Oh, it took forever. I mean... literally any spare moment I had I was sneaking off to the forge to work on it."

"But you never get spare moments."

He shrugs, bitter. "I know, exactly. That's why it took so long. I started it weeks ago and I only finished it last week, I think, and I... I might have stayed up all night a couple of times, too," he says the last part with a wince. "Nadder scales are really hard to work with, let me tell you..."

"You stayed up all night for this?" Astrid shakes her head, "on top of everything else? Hiccup, you didn't have to."

"But I wanted to," he shrugs it off, scratching the back of his neck, "Gobber offered to make it for me, and it's not that I don't trust him, I obviously trust him, it's just— I wanted to do it myself." He takes her hand again and rubs his thumb over the ring, mouth winched to the side. "I wanted it to be personal."

Astrid bites her lip and exhales, leaning her forehead against his. "Well, it worked. I love it so much." She gives his hand another shake. "So much. It's incredible."

"You really like it?" His smile breaks out and she nods, holding her hand up and staring at the ring and everything it means. The Nadder gem was a brilliant idea and it makes her chest warm, the fact that he went to so much work for this and crafted it himself, losing sleep over it and keeping it secret for so long.

"I love it," she declares, and there's an excited bubble of adrenaline in her chest, "and I love you. And I'm so happy, I could..." she shoves her hand on his shoulder quickly to push herself up, standing wobbly on the saddle with her arms spread wide, taking in a deep breath and bellowing into the night, " _I love Hiccup Haddock!_ "

He laughs, making a grab for her legs. "Stop, you're gonna fall over, you maniac."

"Hold on, I don't think I yelled that loud enough," she pats his head, and after clearing her throat, screams, "I LOVE HIC—"

He bursts out laughing, yanking her down to him and making her wobble more and really, if she does fall, it's going to be his fault for not trusting her balance in the first place. He pulls her close by the waist and he kisses her. It's open-mouthed and giggly and she delves into it.

Astrid's pretty, extra sure she's never going to get tired of kissing Hiccup.

His hand is firm on her side and the other one smoothes over her messy hair and down her back, always holding her closer and closer even when they're as close as can be. She runs her fingers over his jaw and her mouth follows, the stubble scratching her as she places little pecks along his face. Hiccup hums quietly before pulling her mouth back to his and she smiles against his lips.

"You know, you–" he interrupts himself with another kiss, then another, "–you never really–" and another, "–answered my question."

"Hm?" She leans in again but he tilts his head away, framing her face with his hands.

"You didn't answer me," he shakes his head, mock-disappointment. "I'm getting some mixed signals, here, Az."

"What question?" She pouts for a kiss, only half listening. "Come _here_."

"I need to ask again, hold on... I need, like... an official answer."

She raises her eyebrows. "Oh. Okay, go."

"Astrid," he takes the hand with the ring and holds it between them, clearing his throat grandly. "Ahem," he sits up straight and proper, pulling his face into a ridiculous expression that's probably supposed to be sarcastic seriousness. "Miss Astrid Hofferson," he declares, in his fake-chief voice, the one he uses to use to imitate his dad all the time, that deep Scottish accent coming through. She snorts. "Will ye do the honour of marrying me?"

She purses her lips, nodding. "Huh. Hm. Let me see. That's a tough one."

"Well. I shall await your reply, milady."

"Might be waiting a while."

"Aye, well, as chief, my patience is impeccable."

"Hm," she tilts her head, squinting her eyes as if she's assessing him. "I think... I'll decide... yes. I will marry you." She kisses his cheek and he beams.

"Excellent!" He kisses the ring on her finger. "Spectacular! We shall have the grandest wedding!"

"I expect it to be... the grandest in all the lands!" She throws her arm to the side, like she's gesturing to the archipelago and all the islands that come after it. "Thousands will hear of the magnificent wedding of Hiccup Haddock and Astrid Hofferson."

"Or, you know," he rubs her arm, the mock-seriousness gone, "Astrid Haddock."

Her heart squeezes.

"Yeah. Astrid Haddock."

"You know this will technically make you... Chieftess, right?" He smoothes his hand along her upper arm, bare and cold where the vambraces and the hood don't cover it. "Are you okay with that?"

"I'm okay with that," she bites her lip, "but I don't know if... what the tribe will think, I mean—"

"The tribe loves you," he rolls his eyes, "you do so much, you're pretty much already Chieftess in everyone's eyes. You don't really need a document to prove it."

"Oh," she rubs her face, feeling her chest fill with warmth. "Well... that's good." She fiddles with the buckles on his chest piece and tries to process everything in her head. They're getting married. She feels like they were teenagers just yesterday and now they're getting married.

Stoick used to push for it, he used to make loud, embarrassing jokes about domesticity and grandkids and they'd blush and wave him off, but her heart pangs when she realises he won't be there on the day his son becomes a husband. He won't ever get to call Astrid his daughter in law the way he's always wanted to. She hopes he'll be looking down on them from Valhalla, if he made it there. She hopes he'll be proud of his son for stepping into his dad's giant boots too quickly.

"I get what you mean about the whole... growing up thing," she says. "Sometimes I still feel like we're eighteen and exploring and naive," she pokes his leg, smirking, "and new at this."

"What's this?"

She gestures between them, her hand wild and floppy in that way that Hiccup is. She doesn't know when they started rubbing off on each other. "This. Us." She sighs. "Sometimes I forget we're supposed to be older and... more responsible and more serious, because I feel the same as I always have."

"Me too," he says. He scratches his cheek and says, "I think adulthood is a lie."

She snorts. "That's it, right there. You got it all figured out, babe." She peeks over her shoulder and sees an orange light in the distance, amidst the fog. Berk is a small, warm beacon in the middle of the thrashing sea and she smiles at the familiarity of it as they get closer.

"Do you want to stay at mine tonight?" Hiccup squeezes her hand. It's a good thing he asked to marry her tonight, because she's spent so much time in his house instead of her own – especially at _night_ – that her parents were probably going to give up on their patience and just march to his house to arrange the marriage themselves.

"Is your house empty again?" she asks quietly. She knows he's only asking her to stay because he wants company. His mom spends more time away from Berk than on it. Astrid knows Valka's trying but... she's flaky. She's always disappearing on the back of a dragon and trying to go further each time. Too distant. Too far gone. She's the only real parent Hiccup's got but Astrid can't help but think she's a lost cause.

And Toothless isn't in the house, not right now. Not when his disappearances are so frequent she's always scared something's happened to him, and she knows Hiccup's scared for him too. He's an alpha, it's what he does, he ventures out into that hidden world of dragons and takes care of them the way Hiccup takes care of his own tribe, but... that means he's never around anymore.

He's been gone for over a week this time. Hiccup hasn't flown with him in even longer, not since he managed to fix that tail rigging into a gliding position. He hasn't sought out Hiccup, or if he has, it's always when Hiccup's too busy or he's crashed out on his desk. And Astrid worries that Toothless is going to stop trying.

So, yes, Hiccup's house is bare and empty and there's no fire in the hearth the way there always used to be. He doesn't need to answer, she knows by the look on his face and the slope of his shoulders. She knows his house is cold and Stoick's heavy door is still shut tight, because Valka could only handle sleeping in her dead husband's bed for a few nights before she closed the door and never went back in.

"I'll stay with you," Astrid wraps her arms around him in a tight hug, sighing against him. "I'll stay."

If no one else will, she will.

There's a high-pitched dragon shriek a second later, loud and chilling and familiar. A sound that instantly fills her with relief. She nudges Hiccup, pointing behind him quickly. "Hey. Look."

He twists in time to see the bright blue shot in the night sky, and that unmistakable silhouette against the light. She feels his sigh of relief, she feels him deflate under her hands.

"Oh, thank Thor, I... he's been gone for so long I thought something..." he stares after Toothless's shadow as it descends onto Berk ahead of them, his face twisting. "Gods, I thought... poachers or..."

"Hey, he's fine," she gives his shoulder a shake. Her face breaks into her own smile of relief. "He's okay. He's okay, Hiccup."

He nods, rubbing his hand along his face, ducking his head and rubbing his eyes. They glint too much in the warm lights from Berk and she wipes away the wetness with her thumb. "It's okay."

He smiles, still watery, and she lets him pull her in for a tight hug, tucking her head under his. She doesn't know where Toothless goes when he leaves. She doesn't know if one day he's never going to come back, either by his own choice or by the hands of someone who catches him. She does know that it's taking its toll on Hiccup. Everything's taking its toll on Hiccup. She wants to be there for him. Finally. After so many years of them being the trademark village sweethearts, she wants to seal it once and for all.

Because she's staying with him. If no one else will, she will.

 


End file.
